Island



A. A. SWEET.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

PICKER.

y(No Model.)

No. 593,620. Patented Nov. 16, l1897.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A. A. SWEET.

PICKER.

No. 593,620. Patented Nov., 16,1897.

WITNESSES WWW @W/ Nrrnn STATES PATENT Eric.

ALBERT A. SVVEET, OF FALLA RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE A. T. ATHERTON'MAOHINE COMPANY, OF PAWTUOKET, RHODE ISLAND.

PICKER.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent N0. 593,620, dated Novemberl 16, 1897. Application led January 8, 1897l Serial No. 618,497. (No model.)

' To LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. SWEET, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fall River, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Pickers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of pickers which are made use of in cotton-manufacturing establishments to prepare the raw cotton for the carding-engine, and has reference more particularly to the means whereby the inward drafts of air through the reticulated peripheral surfaces of the condensing cylinders or cages upon which the light loose flakes of cotton coming from the beater are formed into a bat are regulated and controlled. In pickersof this class as ordinarily constructed the interiors of the condensing cylinders or cages usually communicate with a fan or other airexhausting means through the intermediaries of ducts leading from their respective ends thereto, whereby to superinduce through the reticulated peripheral surfaces of such cylinders or cages the requisite draft of air to insure of the collection thereon of the cotton and its conversion into a bat.

,As thus constructed it not infrequently happens that as the loose flaky cotton is drawn forward from the beater thereto under the inuence of the draft set up by the fan or other air-exhausting means and the 'current engendered by the rotation of the beater, it, in consequence of changes in the temperature or in the hygometric conditions of the atmosphere, or both, is either carried so forcibly against the reticulated surfaces of the condensing cylinders or cages and adheres so tenaciously thereto that the sheet delivered by each of such Surfaces maintains its own individual integrity after removal therefrom, and as a result thereof the lap formed by the union ofthe two is composed of two substantially distinct superposed sheets which separate from each other, or the lap splits,7 as it is called, as such lap is unwound and fed to the carding-engines, whereby imperfect work is produced and injury to theclothing of the card occasioned, or else such cotton in passing from the beater to the condensing cylinders or cages is drawn more to one end of the latter than to the other, in whiohevent l cages to the fan or other air-exhausting means,

dampers whereby the currents of air passing through such cylinders or cages could be regulated and controlled. These dampers, however, while permitting of the regulation and control ofthese currents to a limited eX- tent under certain conditions, have not obviated the objections above pointed out, principally because of the fact that they were located below the ends of both of theA cylinders or cages, and in acting upon the currents passing through the one they have likewise acted upon the currents passing through the other. I have discovered, however, that by'locating these dampers or other currentcontrolling devices in such positions in the ducts that they will act upon the currents passing through one of the cylinders or cages alone, without in any way acting upon the current passingthrough the other, and by properly "adj usting such dampers or other current-controlling devices as the conditions may require, such objections may be overcome, a lap produced which shall be of the same diameter at both its ends, and the bat composing it shall be incapable of separation or splitting into its constituent sheet when fed to the carding-engine.'

My invention therefore consists, first, in the employment with one of the condensing cylinders or cages, the air-ducts, and the fan or other exhausting devices, of dampers or other air-controlling devices for cooperating therewith, and, second, in various constructions and combinations of parts, all as will hereinafter more fully appear. l

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this'specification, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical sectional elevation of a cotton-picker constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a detail side elevation of one of the air-ducts leading from the condensing-cylinders to an exhaust-fan, the condensing-cylinders and eX- haust-fan being shown in dotted lines and parts of the air-duct being broken-away for purposes of illustration; Figl, a tran'sverse sectional plan view of the exhaust-fan and the air-ducts connected therewith, taken in 5 the plane fr :c in Fig. 2, with the upper portion of the fan-inclosing case broken away; and Fig. 4,' a transverse vertical sectionalde#` tail of one ofthe air-ducts and dampers, taken in the plane y y in Fig. 3.

In all the figures like letters of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts.

A indicates the frame or housing ofthe picker up n whichthe various 'parts are or may be supported, B the t-raveling-apron x upon which the cotton either in the form of laps or in a loose state may be supplied, and C 'the'feed-rolls to which the cottonv supplied 'ite the apron is carried and-fed.

Located `in rear ofl theV feed-rolls C is the 2o beater D,'by means of whichthe cotton delivered by such rolls -isopened up and the metes and other refuse contained therein removed. This beater is mounted so as to-rotateilr a suitable chamber E, which is prefer- 2 5 ably provided in its bottom with a con centricallyharranged grid e, through'which the metes and other foreign matters removed by the beater maypass, while yet'preventing the escape-of the loose fiakes of cotton therewith.

Leading from the beater-chamberfvE, with 'its under side preferably tangent to the bottom thereof, is a trunk F, throughwhich the i cotton, after having been actedfupon by the beaten is delivered to the condensing-cylin- These cylinders are mounted the one above the other at the' proper distance 'apart-in the closed chamber I, upon there- -spective shafts 7L h', and have their cylindric peripheral surfaces preferably Aconstructed 4o vof `wire-netting in reticulated form. As thus constructed and arranged these cylinders, =with their inclosing chamber, are located at :the rear end of the trunk F, in such a yposition with respect thereto thata portion of i the peripheralV surfaces of the former at and for some considerable distance from the line 1 of their nearest approach on the side of their axes toward such trunk is exposed therein,

while the remaining portions thereof are -in- 5o closed within their inclosing chamber I, and

in order to retain any metes or other refuse that may fall from the cotton as it is carried along from the beater-chamber Eto .the condensing-cylinders II' II thek bottom of the Vtrunk F is likewise provided with ra grid f,

1 which opens on'its under side into a receptacle K, from which such metes andrefuse may be removed when required.

L indicates the ducts through which the re- 6o qui-red inwardly-flowing drafts of a'ir through the reticulated peripheralsurfaces of the condensing-cylinders are caused to pass. These ducts are secured to or formed as a part of the frame or housing of the machine, and,com

municating at their upper portions with the interior of those cylinders through the orifices fi 1T', formed in the stationary heads k 7o,with

which these cylinders are respectively provided," lead to and communicate with the means through which the required drafts of air are superinduced.

M indicates the rolls by means of which the sheets of cotton are stripped from the condensing-cylinders and compacted together into a Acoherent bat, and N N N2 N3 N4 the calender-rolls, between the pairs of which the bat received from the rolls M are passed and delivered to the winding-rolls O O', upon and between which it is wound into a lap on the roll P, as is common in this class of machine.

The construction and arrangement of parts 'as thus far described, with their accompanying mode of operation, possess no novelty in themselves, but are or may be the same as thoseheretofore employed and require no further description herein. Arranged in conn ecftionwitlr one or the other of 'these condensing vcylinders or cages Il or II and the means by which the inwardly flowing drafts of air through its reticulated peripheral surface is superind uccd are the means whereby the regulation and control of these drafts are effected, and it is' to these 'that my present invention more particularly relates. These regulating and controlling means may be of various forms'and' Vtheir location such as the particular `condensing cylinder'v 0r cage with which `they cooperate may require. 'f In' lthe drawings I have shown the air-exhausting devices as constructed in the form of an ex- :haust-fan R,with which the lower end of the 'ducts L communicate, vand the draft-regulating and controlling devices as constructed in the form of a damper S,'which in the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration lis 'journaled by a shaft m in each of the ducts L opposite the' space between the 'two' ycondensing cylinders or cages' II' II', whereby to be caused to operate upon and control the currents of air which pass through the peripheral surface of the upper cylinder or cage II alone. As thus arranged the regulation and control of the currents of air through the peripheral surface of that condensing cylinder or cage is effected by simply voperating the damper in the required direction to reduce or increase the passage through the duct from the appropriate cylinder or cage as the necessities of the currents passing through the same may demand, and this in the construction shown in the drawings maybe efected by simply turning the shaft or shafts m of one or both ofA the dampers inthe proper direction or directions to accomplishY the result desired. The means whereby this rotation of the shaft m is effected may bey of various forms. I prefer, however, for this purpose to make use of a collar or knob n on its ends, and to hold it, with the damper, in any position to which they may be adjusted I find it convenient to employa friction washer o, of leather or other appropriate material, which may be held clamped between a collar p on the end of the IOO IIO

shaft m and the side of the duct L by means of a coiled spring r, surrounding said shaft and bearing at its opposite ends against the collar or knob n and the side of the duct L, respectively, as shown.

While in the drawings I have shown the means through which the control and regulation of the currents of air through the reticulated peripheral surface of the condensing cylinders or cages may be effected as applied in connection with the upper of such cylinders or cages whereby to act upon those alone, it is obvious that they may be applied to the under of' such cylinders or cages and operate with equal efficiency, it. only being essential that they cooperate with the currents passing through the peripheral surfaces of one of such cylinders or cages without in any way affecting the currents passingthrough the other. In some instances these air controlling and regulating means may be employed at only one end of their coperating cylinder H or H; but in the preferred embodiments of my invention they are employed at both ends thereof, as a more thorough control and regulat-ion of the drafts through the surfaces of such cylinders is thereby attained. With devices thus employed vin connection with one or the other of the condensing cylinders and the means through which the inward currents of air through its reticulated surface are superinduced, whereby the force or intensity of such drafts may be regulated and controlled as re-` quired, not only may the laps produced by the picker be rendered incapable of splitting when unwound and fed to the carding-engine-but also of the same diameter at both of their ends.

Although in the foregoing Ihave described the best means contemplated by me for carrying my invention into practice, I wish it distinctly understood that I do not limit myself strictly thereto, but reserve to myself the right to modify the same in various ways without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention and specified certain of the Ways in which it is or may be carried into effect, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesl. The combination, with the condensing cylinders or cages of `a picker, and the means whereby inward drafts of air may be superinduced, of devices arranged in connection therewith whereby such drafts of air through the surface of one of said cylinders or cages may be controlled and regulated, without affecting the drafts of air passing through the other, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the condensing cylinders or cages of a picker, means through which currents of air are superinduced through their peripheral surfaces, and a beater, of air-ducts leading from the ends of these cylinders or cages, and dampers arranged in such ducts opposite the space between the said cylinders or cages, whereby the currents of air passing through the surface of the upper said cylinders or cages may be controlled and regulated, without aifecting the currents passing through the surface of the lower of such cylinders, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the condensing cylinders or cages of a picker, and an exhaustfan, of ducts leading from the ends of such cylinders or cages to the fan, of a damper arranged in said duct opposite the space between the cylinders or cages, whereby to regulate and control the currents of air superinduced through the surface of the upper cylinder or cage without affecting the currents superinduced thro ugh the surface of the lower cylinder or cage, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the condensing cylinders or cages of a picker, and an exhaust- Vitnesses:

" EDWARD A. THURsToN,

ABEL T. ArHERToN. 

